Huayu: Starting with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

January in Yanjing is bitterly cold; even a breath of air outside can sting your nose.

Chen Mo, wrapped in a black down jacket, pushed open the door of Pu Shi Culture. The girl at the front desk saw him, stood up, and greeted him. He nodded and walked straight in.

Shen Yu's office was the innermost one on the third floor. The door was half open, and he knocked on the door frame twice.

"Come in."

The office wasn't big, with just a desk, a row of bookshelves, and two potted green ivy plants on the windowsill. Their leaves were a vibrant green, indicating that someone watered them regularly.

Shen Yu sat behind the table with several documents spread out in front of her and a pen in her hand. When she saw Chen Mo come in, she put the pen down.

"sit."

Chen Mo sat down on the sofa, and Shen Yu took a bottle of mineral water from the cabinet next to him and tossed it to him.

"Have some water first; you don't look well."

"It's alright, I didn't sleep well last night."

"What time did you go to sleep?"

"A little after two o'clock."

Shen Yu frowned.

"What are you watching until past 2 AM?"

"I was flipping through a book on pre-Qin history, and before I knew it, I had lost track of time."

"You're an actor, not someone preparing for graduate school entrance exams. Don't push yourself to the point of making yourself sick."

Shen Yu's tone was not harsh, but very serious.

She admired Chen Mo's earnestness; such people are rare these days.

But if you ruin your health, it won't be worth it.

The body is the foundation of everything.

After "The Mountains and Rivers" aired, she couldn't finish reading all the documents about invitations and collaborations every day, and her body couldn't take it anymore from working non-stop.

The airing of "The Mountains and Rivers" has completely solidified Chen Mo's acting skills.

She was also worried that Chen Mo's fluctuating emotions in the past few days had led to a disruption in his sleep schedule.

What is your daily routine like now?

"I get up at six in the morning to run eight kilometers, then come back for breakfast. I read in the morning, and sometimes go to the gym in the afternoon to work on my fitness. I continue reading at night and go to bed before midnight."

"Was last night an exception?"

"It's an exception."

Shen Yu glanced at him twice but didn't ask any further questions.

She had known Chen Mo for over a year and knew that he was self-disciplined and no one needed to worry about him; staying up late occasionally wouldn't cause any problems.

However, Shen Yu was surprised that he could maintain this kind of self-discipline even with the huge response to the broadcast of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

"What about your weight?"

"Seventy-six."

"You were 78 before, and you've lost two kilograms?"

"I increased my running volume, but my diet remained the same, and my energy expenditure is normal."

Shen Yu nodded and opened a document on the table.

"Let's get down to business first. I'd like to give you an update on the situation with GG."

She turned the document over for Chen Mo to see.

"The three brand collaborations we signed are all progressing normally. The shoot for the sports brand is scheduled for March. It only takes one day and won't take up too much time."

"The watch is a still image with a 30-second video, filmed in April."

"The contract details for the last luxury brand's Asia-Pacific promotion have all been finalized. Filming will not exceed ten days per year, and exclusivity is limited to the same product category. It will not affect your acting opportunities."

Chen Mo glanced at the numbers on the document but didn't look at it much.

"If you think it's appropriate, then it's fine. I trust your judgment in these matters."

"I think it's suitable, otherwise I wouldn't have signed it."

Shen Yu closed the file and leaned back in her chair.

"With these three collaborations combined, your GG income this year alone will reach seven figures. I'm telling you this not to make you arrogant, but to let you know where your commercial value stands right now. This will give you confidence when choosing roles and collaborations in the future, so you don't have to take on jobs you don't want just for the money."

"I know."

"Okay." Shen Yu picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and put it down.

She didn't speak immediately, but instead took a brown paper file bag from the drawer and placed it on the table.

Chen Mo glanced at the file folder.

The packaging is different from the brand contracts we just saw.

Brand contracts are usually kept in folders with the company logo printed on them, either made of leather or stiff cardboard, emphasizing a presentable and sophisticated appearance.

The document bag is made of kraft paper, simple and without any fancy design, but it has a red wax seal on the closure with a logo pressed on it.

Chen acknowledged it.

That's the logo of Sheep TV.

Next to the sealing wax, a line of text was printed in regular script: "Invitation Letter for Programs of China Yanghe Broadcasting and Television Station".

The font is neat and upright, the layout is orderly, and even the spacing of the punctuation marks is uniform, exuding the rigor of an official government agency.

Chen Mo stared at the red wax seal, his fingers remaining still.

"What is this?"

"The most important thing I called you here for today."

Shen Yu pushed the file bag in front of him.

"The invitation from Yangshi was sent to the company two days ago. After reading it, I felt that you should take a look at it yourself before making a decision."

Chen Mo picked up the file bag, weighed it in his hand; it wasn't heavy, and there weren't many papers inside.

He tore open the seal and pulled out the documents inside.

Two pages: an invitation and a program introduction.

The invitation was addressed to "Mr. Chen Mo" and signed "National Treasure Program Team".

The main text was written in a very formal manner, and the gist of it was to sincerely invite Chen Mo to participate in the recording of the Xth episode of the Xth season of "National Treasure" as a guardian of national treasures and to play a historical figure related to the national treasures in this episode.

He turned to the second page, the program introduction.

"This issue's national treasure: Bronze sword and bamboo slips from the Chu-Han period (unearthed in Yunmeng, Hubei), historical background: Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, invited character: Xiang Yu."

Chen Mo's gaze lingered on the two characters "Xiang Yu".

He stared at it for three seconds, then looked up at Shen Yu.

"Playing Xiang Yu again?"

"right."

Shen Yu's expression was calm, clearly indicating that she had already read the document.

"Let me relay the program team's original words: They said that your portrayal of Xiang Yu in 'Legend of Chu and Han' is one of the most classic screen images in recent years. This episode of National Treasures is related to Xiang Yu, and they would like to invite you back to reinterpret his character."

"How should it be interpreted?"

"Unlike 'Legend of Chu and Han,' it doesn't perform dramatic famous scenes. It's more like an autobiographical story, allowing the audience to see the complete side of Xiang Yu. The production team has given us a lot of creative freedom. You can decide with the director team how to perform and which segments to perform."

Chen Mo put the two pages back on the table, leaned back on the sofa, and unconsciously tapped his fingers twice on his knees.

Xiang Yu.

Three years ago, he first put on Xiang Yu's armor on the set of "Legend of Chu and Han," transforming from a minor soldier into a hegemon. That role was a turning point in his career, from a "stoic general" to a "god-like figure in one battle," all thanks to that one performance.

He thought he had already said goodbye to Xiang Yu.

When the final scene of the Battle of Gaixia was filmed, he stood on the set, took off his armor, and silently said, "Goodbye, Xiang Yu."

Now Xiang Yu is back.

The invitation letter from Yangshi lay quietly on the coffee table, the red sealing wax giving off a dull glow under the fluorescent light.

"What are your thoughts?" Shen Yu asked.

Chen Mo thought for a while.

"I have a concern."

"explain."

"I've already played the role of Xiang Yu once, and the audience has a formed impression of him. If I play it again without bringing anything new, I'll be exploiting my own classic role, which is equivalent to ruining my own reputation."

Shen Yu nodded.

"Can you come up with something new?"

Chen Mo's fingers paused on his knee for a moment.

I'm not sure.

"But I've been rereading 'The Biography of Xiang Yu' recently. The last time I played Xiang Yu, I played the Overlord, the fall of a hero. If I play him again this time, I want to change the perspective."

"What angle?"

I want to play Xiang Ji.

Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.

What's the difference between Xiang Yu and Xiang Yu?

"The title of Overlord is given to him by the people of the world, and Xiang Ji is the name given to him by his uncle. Overlord is a symbol, and Xiang Ji is a person. Last time, I acted out the most dazzling and tragic moments of that symbol. This time, I want the audience to see what the person under the symbol looks like."

Shen Yu looked at him without saying a word for several seconds.

Then she smiled, a very faint smile.

"I'm going to ask you a question, and you'd better answer honestly."

"Go ahead and ask."

"Did you already decide to accept this before I even opened the file folder?"

Chen Mo smiled too.

"I made up my mind when I saw the Yang Hsinchu TV logo."

"So, were your earlier concerns just an act for me?"

"I'm not putting on an act for you; I genuinely have concerns. But concerns aside, I still have to accept the offer."

Chen Mo stood up and picked up the invitation from the coffee table: "A show of this caliber, a role like this, anyone who doesn't accept it is a fool."

Shen Yu leaned back in her chair, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"Okay, I'll confirm with the production team. The recording will be in mid-February."

"it is good."

Chen Mo folded the invitation letter and put it in his pocket. He turned back as he walked to the door.

"Shen Yu".

"Um?"

"Thank you for not making this decision for me."

Shen Yu waved his hand.

"You are in charge of your own affairs. I am only responsible for paving the way for you. You can choose which path to take. I said when we signed the contract that I would not make the choice for you."

Chen Mo nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

As he stepped out of the Pu Shi Culture building, the cold wind rushed into his collar, and he shrank his neck. Standing by the roadside, he took out his phone and sent a message to Xu Zhinian.

"Are you free? Can you do me a favor?"

"What kind of help?"

"Help me schedule an appointment with a scholar who studies the history of the Qin and Han dynasties; I need to do my research."

"Are you going to act in something?"

How did you know?

"Why would you, Chen Mo, proactively seek out people to do your history research besides taking on a role? Wait, I'll ask around for you."

Chen Mo put away his phone and hailed a taxi on the roadside.

After getting on the bus, he took out the invitation from his pocket and read it again.

"Invited Character: Xiang Yu"

He stared at those two words, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Three years.

After all the twists and turns, we still end up back with Xiang Yu.